Lost Opportunities
by Orion Lyonesse
Summary: When a dark young Alpha accepts the help of an even younger Delta in opening a locked door, he has to pay his debt, doesn't he? A/V hints.
1. Chapter 1

Avon was stuck, or, more properly put, locked out. The larcenous object of his quest lay behind this private, locked door that unaccountably sported a new type of lock he hadn't a clue how to open. The dark, silent streets at his back made him feel exposed and vulnerable, even at this early morning hour. He sat back on his heels, considering – and was galvanized by a young-sounding voice from the shadows.

"Thought you'd be stopped by that," said a youth not much younger than himself as he approached Avon, moving with the still-gawky gait of adolescence. His grey jumpsuit blended easily into the blighted suburban landscape around them. Much better, Avon thought, surprised, than his own silver-studded black tunic and trousers. The young man's voice was quiet and conspiratorial, as though he belonged with Avon, trying to break into the secured building.

Keeping his own voice low with great effort, Avon ground out, "Who the hell are you, Delta, and why are you watching me?"

The Delta shrugged, taken aback by the Alpha's apparent anger. "Saw you casing this place days ago and wondered what you were up to, and I sort of…kept a watch for you. I was right, though, wasn't I?" He seemed awkward and worldly-wise at the same time. Avon was exasperated and frustrated, both by his own failure and this cheeky youth.

When Avon didn't speak but just looked daggers at him, the young man went on, "I see you found out about the new lock they installed today, huh?"

"What do you know about it? How'd you know about the new lock? Just who or what are you?" came the low-voiced questions, driven by his mounting frustration.

"I'm a thief, just like you," Vila said, surprised at his question. "Besides, I been casing the place, too. Saw 'em change the lock last afternoon, I did. I can still get in, of course, but it'll take longer."

"I'm NOT a thief. I'm a social protestor," Avon corrected absently. Then, more sharply, "You can pick this lock? I've never even seen one like this, but you think you can do it. How?" Avon said sarcastically, driven by his vanity and not a little by his curiosity about this strange Delta.

"Like this." He applied himself to the lock, pulling mysterious items from various places about his person, to Avon's bemusement. Shortly, with a flourish, the youth threw open the door, stepped back and waved Avon grandly in.

"Just like that, you opened the lock and disabled the electronic security system?"

"Electronic security system?" he quavered.

"You didn't…Let's get out of here. Now!" Avon said as he grabbed the surprised youth and tore away from the building into the shadows. Behind them raged sirens they didn't stop to investigate.

Safely away into more frequented, well-lit areas, the two strolled ever-so-casually down the street. Stopping abruptly, the youth turned to Avon and stuck out his hand.

"Vila Restal. Who're you?" he asked with an open smile. Except for the alarm, hadn't he just proved the equal of this slender man in black?

"Avon," came the terse reply, as he stopped, ignoring the proffered hand. He looked the youth over carefully, gauging how far he could trust this…thief. He was shorter than Avon, slighter of build, gangly and he hadn't yet come to terms with his body. Avon felt very superior in his new-come maturity. After all, he was 23, on his own and fairly well-employed for his age group. And that was all he was, to all outward appearances.

A peculiar look came over Vila's face. A look of recognition. Big-eyed, wonder painting his face, Vila exclaimed, "Of course! You're one of those Young Lions I keep hearing about. The way you brought down that Fed-loving councilman last month was sweet! You guys are famous in my crowd. Looked up to by my friends." He sounded somewhat in awe to find himself standing here, casually talking to so famous a person.

"Yes, well, that makes all the difference, doesn't it? To be looked up to by a bunch of Delta kids and thieves," was Avon's scornful reply. He walked on, with Vila scurrying to catch up.

"What're you gonna do about that building?" he questioned.

Avon gave him a dark look. "Well, I sure as hell can't go back there for a while, now can I?" he replied in disgust. "Not after you've alerted them to my intentions."

"Well, at least I proved I could open the lock, didn't I?" he protested. With some trepidation, he asked, "Do you think, you know, that you'd, maybe, include me in your next job? I'm good, I really am. Just try me, huh?" He juddered to a stop, because Avon was staring at him like he might be a newly discovered lifeform, aghast at the thought of joining forces with this…Delta thief!

"You want to…you're asking me to…you've got to be kidding!" If Vila could have seen into their future, he would have enjoyed this one instance when he'd rendered Avon speechless. As it was though, he felt affronted!

"I proved myself, I did! You couldn't have opened that lock in a million years! I'm good, I tell you. Just try me," he finished, with defiant lift of his chin.

Avon leaned his shoulders against the wall of a building and crossed his arms in front of him, his head cocked, considering for a long while. Finally, he shook his head, hitching himself forward off the wall with one elegant movement. "Nope. I don't think so. After tonight it'll be too dangerous to attempt anything like that for awhile." His eyes grew distant, as though wheels were spinning in his mind. At last, he continued, "I have in mind something even better. Much better. I'll be able to get back at society in a major way. All I need is the right level of access, then I'll have all the money I want and the power to go with it." His gaze sharpened onto Vila's face. "You just wait and see," he finished, arching an eyebrow.

Then, "Sorry, Vila, I just can't use you. But I do owe you for tonight, for what you tried to do to help me. I always pay my debts. If I can ever repay you for that, come to me."

Vila stared. He felt he'd missed something and hadn't a clue as to what. Well, he did have an Alpha in his debt, not a bad thing in itself. Trying to put the best face on it he could, to cover his disappointment, he said, "Well, that's it, I guess. See you around sometime?" He had to try just one more time, but all he got was Avon's frown and a shake of his head. "No, thought not. Well, it's been fun."

With a casual wave, he disappeared into the shadows. Avon stared at thin air for a moment, then shook his head again at the whole adventure and the unexpected participation of the young Delta. He wondered briefly if they'd ever meet again. He very much doubted it.

Of course, just this one time, he was wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

Pounding at his door woke Avon from a sound sleep. Putting on a dark silken robe, he made his way unerringly through the unlit two-room apartment, easily avoiding the sparse furnishings.

"Who is it?" he demanded crossly through the door.

"It's me, Vila Restal. Remember me? Please let me in, I'm in trouble and I need your help," a quiet voice pleaded desperately from the other side.

He opened the door quickly, dragging Vila in by the arm and shutting the door.

"What's this all about, Vila? Why are you sneaking about in the middle of the night? Calm down and tell me." He saw that the young man was distracted and anxious. Avon noticed the young Delta youth had grown up in the intervening years, though he was still slender. Even with the disheveled sandy hair and wide, panicky eyes, though, he had a grace he hadn't possessed the last time they'd met.

The problem tumbled out, as the young man clutched Avon's arm. "I got caught – on a vid! I've been convicted, and 'processed' twice since I saw you last time. As soon as they dump what's on it, I'm finished. They'll send me up for life or worse. Avon, you got to help me!" Vila pleaded, soulful brown eyes boring into his.

Avon wrested his arm away, smoothing the sleeve absently as he put space between him and the distraught Delta. "You know what happens when you get caught the third time. Why did you chance it? It's a stupid risk and you know it. Why, Vila? Answer me!" Avon was mad, not just at the man, but also at the stupidity of it all.

"Avon, you don't get it," Vila said, calming down now that he was safely in Avon's apartment. Running a nervous hand through his hair, he began pacing about the small room. For some reason he couldn't quite identify, he felt he had to make this Alpha see him, Vila, not just some lowly Delta. Had to make him understand the life he lived and why. Finally, he stopped in front of Avon, hands at his sides, head cocked. "Thieving isn't what I do, it's who I am. I can no more stop stealing than I can stop breathing…than you can stop going after wealth and power, I think." He'd gotten more astute at reading people over the years, too. It helped him stay alive, a tremendous learning incentive.

Avon considered this for a long silent moment, taking in the concept as well as the implications. H granted that the Delta wasn't far wrong about his own goals.

Just when the silence was beginning to make Vila twitchy, Avon became all business, powering up his computer network connection. "First, tell me when and where you got caught," he said. Vila told him and Avon set to work. It took a long time to accomplish what needed to be done and by then Vila was asleep on Avon's couch, snoring lightly.

Avon shook his shoulder, bringing Vila awake with a start. He sat up, rubbing gritty sleep from his eyes and stretching out the kinks from trying to sleep on a sofa just that much too short for his height.

"It's done, Vila, you're in the clear. Oh, and I did one other little thing while I was in there. I cleared your whole record. You're squeaky clean again. Try to keep it that way," he admonished in a severe tone of voice that he hoped would get through to the younger man. "If you can't be good, at least be careful. Next time I won't be around to bail you out. This makes us even. I always pay my debts.".

Vila stood, grabbed Avon's hand and pumped it enthusiastically. "Thank you, Avon, thank you! I didn't even know that was possible!" He was delighted with this unexpected turn of events. Fortune was smiling on him again.

Avon wasn't particularly pleased to be on the receiving end of his enthusiasm, especially in the middle of the night in his own apartment. Perhaps the circumstances made him ruder than he would ordinarily have been.

"That's enough of that," he said, pulling away from Vila, unconsciously wiping his hand on his robe. He moved about his work table, shutting the equipment down. "You're in the clear and my debt is paid. Now, I'd like to get back to sleep. I have important work to do tomorrow and you're keeping me up. Goodbye." He took the Delta's arm, trying to usher Vila to the door.

He hung back, though, hoping to spend more time with this intriguing and attractive man. Avon had matured into a lithe, dark Adonis with piercing eyes and graceful movement that fairly took Vila's breath away. He seemed to exude an air of power, of danger. Vila wanted to get to know him better. "Avon, I'm just trying to show you how grateful I am for what you did for me. You don't have to get rude with me!"

"Vila, let me explain this to you in words of one syllable," he began pedantically, in a manner usually reserved for small children and idiots. "I owed you a debt and now I've paid it. We are quits. The next time we meet, you don't know me and I won't know you. Understand?" he finished savagely, as he shook Vila by the shoulders.

Vila stared into Avon's smoldering eyes a moment more, then nodded sadly. He spoke softly and earnestly, bare inches from Avon's face. "Oh, I understand, Avon, more than you realize. You can't let anyone close to you for fear you'll contract more debts your Alpha honor will demand you repay. Well, I guess that's your problem. I'll go, just like you want. But I hope you don't regret that wall you're building around you. Any higher and no one will ever be able to get over it and you'll be alone forever. Think about it, before it's too late."

The dark face never changed, never blinked. "Get out."

Vila backed to the door, turned and opened it. With his hand still on the edge of the door, he turned to look at the computer tech once more. "Goodbye, Avon."

He stepped through the door and heard it close behind him with a final click.

Once again, Avon found himself staring at thin air where Vila had once been. He considered Vila's words for a moment, then shook his head and dismissed them. What did a lowly Delta thief know of the ambitions and world of an Alpha? He couldn't begin to comprehend the stratagems Avon had put in place, the damage they would do to the hated Federation and the monolithic monetary system he and his friends were plotting.

He shook his head. With an exasperated sigh he dismissed the man entirely from his mind and went back to bed.

B7B7B7B7B7

The holding cell was crowded when the guards threw Avon in. He stumbled once before regaining his balance. Looking around quickly, he spotted an empty bunk against the wall and proceeded to claim it. His quick survey of the other occupants of the cell missed the slender, sandy-haired Delta standing behind the large curly-haired Alpha, so he didn't see the shock of recognition that flashed across his face.

Much as Vila wanted to renew his acquaintance with Avon, the man's parting words, those hurtful words, rang in his head: "The next time we meet, you don't know me and I won't know you." Turning his back on Avon's presence, he sighed for what might have been and tried to ignore Avon.

Avon, however, was almost desperate for a familiar face. All his friends and his lover were taken and probably dead because of him. And here he sat, consigned to exile on Cygnus Alpha, friendless and hopeless, just as that young Delta Vila had said he'd end up. For the first time, he wished he'd listened to Vila, had reached out, instead of building that wall higher around him. He sighed for lost opportunities and withdrew from the surroundings behind his high, fortified wall.


End file.
